Nobody stops San Marino anymore! Two months after the first victory in its history in an official match, the 210th and last nation in the Fifa ranking made a dream come true by beating Liechtenstein 3-1 on Monday evening in Vaduz, a success which allowed it to move up from 4th to 3rd division of the League of Nations.
Trailing 1-0 at the break, the Sanmarinais forced their destiny in the second half, equalizing less than a minute after the restart by their midfielder Lorenzo Lazzari before taking the lead thanks to their striker Nicola Nanni on a penalty (66th) . It was he, already on a penalty, who equalized in added time on Friday against Gibraltar (1-1).
A third goal from Alessandro Golinucci at the start of the last quarter of an hour definitively offered first place in their group to the players of Roberto Cevoli, the Italian coach of San Marino, effectively promoted to League C of the competition. With a bonus feat: it is the first time in its history that San Marino… has scored three goals in the same match.
San Marino, the black beast of Liechtenstein
“Apart from the serious risk of being struck by a heart attack, all I can say is that these boys made history tonight,” commented the president of the Sanmarinese Federation, Marco Tura, visibly moved . “As people, as athletes, as men, they showed what they were worth (…) I cried with them,” he added.
The Very serenevery offensive on the pitch at Rheinpark Stadion (15 shots including 6 on target), will also give up its dunce cap in the FIFA world rankings, where it should move up a few ranks during the next update.
The micro-state, a mountainous enclave of 34,000 inhabitants in Italy, will thus get closer to its evening opponent (200th) and in the process confirms its status as the black beast of Liechtenstein. On September 5, San Marino won its first victory in an official match against the same opponent, but at home (1-0), and had already beaten them in a friendly match this time twenty years ago.